Wilfred Kolko

Does the thought of selling stress balls have you popping anti-anxiety pills? Do you cringe at the sight of blinking logo pendants or run in fear from foam hands? Relax, you’re not alone. The prospect of bringing assorted novelties to sales calls is enough to make some business printing professionals rethink their careers. Change is never easy. But by and large, it is usually positive, and the $19 billion promotional products industry is increasingly providing life support for flagging distributorships. Those who are successfully adding customized advertising and marketing tools to their product lines are focused on serving customers’ objectives, not simply supplying promotional

When marketing business forms, working smarter—not harder— is a valuable philosophy By Sharon R. Cole Marketing products need not be a one-man show for distributors trying to propel sales. Manufacturers offer techniques that make the marketing game a win-win situation for everyone involved and, according to Bob McAleavey, general manager, Specialized Printed Forms, Caledonia, N.Y., most manufacturers prefer to help distributors. "It's a two-way street in this business. If a distributor is trying to increase sales on a product that we're manufacturing, then sign me up!" said McAleavey. Conducting joint sales calls, working the trade show circuit and printing direct mail campaigns are a few ways Specialized Printed Forms